DOH detects more virus variant cases. Inquirer Newsletter April 19, 2021

No images? Click here   SUDDENLY, IT’S A MOVEMENT The community pantry set up by entrepreneur Ana Patricia Non on Maginhawa Street, Quezon City, has inspired countless similar projects elsewhere in the country such as this one in Intramuros, Manila. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ     News DepEd hit for profiling, Red-tagging teachers Teachers’ groups slammed over the weekend the Department of Education (DepEd) for doing nothing to protect its stakeholders and instead participated in violating their civil rights and democratic processes. —Story by Meg Adonis and Nestor Corrales Read more: newsinfo.inquirer.net   World ‘Double mutant’ seen hitting under-45s NEW DELHI—Ajay Singh Yadav only managed a final video call with Raj Karan before his close friend became the latest of an alarming number of young Indians, including children, falling victim to the new coronavirus wave sweeping the country. —Story by AFP Read more: newsinfo.inquirer.net   Newsletter / Join us Has this been forwarded by a friend? Subscribe now to the Philippine Daily Inquirer Newsletter and get your latest news and important updates on COVID-19. Subscribe     Shop now   Banner Story DOH detects more virus variant cases By Dona Z. Pazzibugan and Maricar Cinco @Team_Inquirer Highly infectious variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, were predominant among sample cases of the disease taken from around the country and recently analyzed by government health experts. The Department of Health (DOH) also said that nearly half of the detected variant cases were in Metro Manila and the rest were in seven other regions. Genetic studies showed that 642 out of 752 latest COVID-19 samples, or 80 percent, bore either the contagious B.1.1.7 or B.1.351 variants, which were first detected in the United Kingdom and South Africa, respectively, or the potentially contagious P.3 variant first found in the Philippines. Forty-seven percent of the variant cases were in Metro Manila. The rest were in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen and Caraga. While the DOH confirmed last month that the UK and South Africa COVID-19 variants had been detected in all cities in Metro Manila, results of the latest genetic analysis showed that the so-called Philippine variant was now in the capital region. The DOH has maintained that the P.3 variant is not yet a cause of concern due to insufficient data about its impact on public health. The P.1 variant, first detected in Brazil, which is experiencing its worst health crisis, has so far been detected in two returning overseas Filipinos. The UK virus variant has so far been detected in Metro Manila and eight other regions; the South Africa variant in Metro Manila and four other regions; and the Philippine variant in Metro Manila and four other regions. In the latest genome sequencing of 752 COVID-19 samples, the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center detected 266 UK variant cases, 351 South Africa variant cases and 25 Philippine variant cases. Read more: newsinfo.inquirer.net   Editorial Killing the local hog industry Senators from both the majority and the opposition unanimously approved last week a resolution urging President Duterte to immediately withdraw Executive Order 128, which has lowered the tariff on imported pork products. Read full story: opinion.inquirer.net Get here     Copyright © 2020 PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: P.O. Box 2353, Makati Central Post Office, 1263 Makati City, Philippines.   Share    Tweet    Share    Forward  Preferences  |  Unsubscribe